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Path: utzoo!decvax!linus!dhf
From: dhf@linus.UUCP (David H. Friedman)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Re: Railroad Electrification
Message-ID: <127@linus.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Jan-86 10:00:52 EST
Article-I.D.: linus.127
Posted: Fri Jan 17 10:00:52 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jan-86 03:45:16 EST
References: <7@cbm.UUCP>
Reply-To: dhf@linus.UUCP (David H. Friedman)
Distribution: na
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Lines: 16
Summary: 


      
     
    Another good literature reference is "Electric Traction on the
Pennsylvania Railroad 1895-1968" by Michael Bezilla, published 1981 or so
by Pennsylvania State University Press. This is a book written from the
viewpoint of an academic historian, which analyzes the reasoning behind
many of the fundamental decisions e.g. 25 vs. 60 Hz power frequency, and
why the PRR electrified when it did (and didn't when it might have, else
we would have seen catenary over Horseshoe Curve). As the title suggests,
the story is carried only up to the time of the Penn Central merger, with a
brief epilogue; nothing about E60's or AEM7's. However, there is a good
bit of background to explain the advantages of electrification and the
particular situations in which they applied, as exemplified by the
projects carried out by the PRR during the period considered.